Motor vehicle locks are expected to not malfunction even in the case of high crash acceleration phenomena which occur in the event of a crash. In this case, it is primarily necessary to ensure that the doors of the motor vehicle do not spring open during the crash. This is often the case since, for example, a side impact can lead to an external door handle “staying put” to a certain extent on account of its mass inertia, this altogether leading to a relative movement between the external door handle and the vehicle lock. The result is an operating process which takes place automatically on account of the crash acceleration phenomena and is, of course, undesirable.
In order to counteract an undesired, automatic operating movement of a functional element, such as a door handle of the motor vehicle lock arrangement, a securing device is routinely associated with the motor vehicle lock arrangement.
In one known motor vehicle lock arrangement (DE 20 2006 011 206 U1), the securing device is associated with a Bowden cable between an external door handle and a motor vehicle lock. The securing device consists of a damping element which is in the form of a pneumatic impact damper. The above securing device has the advantageous feature that it functions independently of the direction of the respective crash acceleration phenomenon. One disadvantage is that this securing device is associated with a certain amount of structural outlay on implementation.
Other securing devices for motor vehicle lock arrangements (DE 196 24 640 C1) use a deflectable blocking element for blocking the functional element in question in the event of a crash. The motor vehicle lock of this motor vehicle arrangement is equipped with the customary locking elements, latch and pawl, and also with an operating mechanism. The operating mechanism has an external operating lever which is fitted with the blocking element. In the event of a side impact, crash acceleration phenomena act directly on the blocking element and move the blocking element against the force of a spring, as a result of which the operation of the external operating lever is temporarily blocked. After the crash acceleration phenomena disappear, the blocking element returns to its inoperative position by virtue of a spring load, so that operation by the user is again possible. The disadvantage of an arrangement of this kind is that the functioning of the securing device is dependent on the direction of the respective crash acceleration phenomenon.